Zafer Nahhas

Background

About Zafer Nahhas

I am a peacebuilding, development, and humanitarian professional. Utilising my lived, academic, and professional experience, I champion investment in social capital. Guided by an explorer's mindset, I follow an asset-based approach to enable communities to lead change using research, meaningful engagement, dialogue, and advocacy tools. Currently, I am working with Street Child to advance localisation in the MENA region. Prior to this I lead the co-production and meaningful community engagement for the diaspora humanitarian partnership programme at the British Red Cross. I have also been involved in shaping and leading policy and operational dialogues for public bodies and civil society in the UK, EU, and MENA regions. I served as a co-founder and chaired a pioneering refugee-led peacebuilding organisation operating in multiple geographies. I have a proven track record as an advisor and facilitator for civil society dialogue programmes, devising community engagement frameworks, and leading the design and implementation of collaborative and participatory approaches to localise social change, international aid, and development programmes. I am a natural community networks and alliances person, experienced in transforming and nurturing relationships between the people and public and civic organisations and bodies on the local, national, and global levels. I am an advocate for accountability with a clear mission of flipping the power pyramids, one stone at a time.